Off the Grid

He smacked his lips. “I’m thirsty.”

The poison was moving swiftly. They set out awkwardly at a brisk pace. Sweat poured off her forehead. Her legs, shoulders, and arms burned from bearing his weight. Grinding her teeth together, she pressed her mouth shut to keep herself from struggling.

“How are we doing, Thorn? You have to keep talking to me, babe.”

“Kind of dizzy.”

“Oh, am I the one making you weak now?” she teased.

He gave a weak

bark of laughter. “Don’t flatter yourself, Fehr. It’s just the venom working.” He tossed her words back at her without skipping a beat. It comforted her he was still able to think on his feet.

He stumbled as they reached the cabin. “My leg’s going numb, Lilac.”

“Stay here.” She propped him against the Jeep. “Where are your keys?”

“In the front pocket of my pack.”

She dug his keys out of his pack and unlocked the door. Climbing in, she cranked the Jeep and hopped out, running around to the passenger side. She opened the door and helped him climb in. Every moment that ticked by the blood cells around the affected area might be dying. Buckling him in, she slammed the door and returned to the driver’s side with her heart in her throat. A layer of sweat coated his skin, and his coloring was off. The paleness set alarm bells off in her head.

“Stay with me, Thorn. I need you to direct me to the fastest route to the hospital.”

“Okay,” he rasped.

Fearful he’d pass out, she spoke. “What did you do in the military?”

“What?”

“In the Marines. I never asked you before, what was your MOS?”

“Sniper.”

“Fuck.”

“More like fucked,” he rumbled.

His words made her blood run cold. No wonder the man thought he needed a break from people.

“I’m sorry. You took me by surprise. Did you like it?” The question was lame, but her attention was focused on maneuvering the winding road at the fastest speed she could without wrecking.

“I was good at it. Too good. It scared the shit out of me what kind of monster I could be.”

His honesty obliterated the contempt she held for him. “You are not the job you do.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Knowing what you’re capable of is both a blessing and a curse. There’s so much blood on my hands, Li.”

“I’m sorry, Thorn. I won’t even try to pretend I know how you feel. I can say this, though … since you’ve been back you’ve helped so many people.”

He gave a rusty laugh. “You’re really that sweet, aren’t you? I couldn’t—” He coughed. “I couldn’t fathom it before. I’m a jaded man. I’ve seen and done too much to take anything at face value.”

She didn’t like the finality in his tone. “You saw a lot of places, huh?”

“Yes, but not how everyone assumes. I was alone, in remote locations waiting, always waiting to do the unthinkable.” The sadness in his tone was a living thing. Her heart broke for the wounded warrior beside her. Not all hurts were visible to the naked eye.

“That was then and you were doing a job. You did that to keep others safe.”

“I know that now. But when I first got out, I wasn’t so sure. I thought I was damned for what I’d done.”